This roasted Beef Tenderloin is incredibly tender, juicy, and flavorful, it’s perfect for holiday dinners and special events! The tenderloin is wonderfully seasoned with a mix of salt, pepper, garlic, and herbs to a flavor-packed bite. It tastes amazing paired with homemade mushroom red wine sauce.
Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Red Wine Sauce
Beef tenderloin is one of my favorite cuts of beef… ever! Also known as chateaubriand, the center cut of beef tenderloin earns it’s title for a reason. It’s tender as can be, especially when roasted in the oven! Truly, with my simple tried and true cooking method for this recipe, you’ll have beef so tender that you won’t even need a knife. You could cut it with your fork alone!
This is a perfect dinner to make for when you really feel like showing off. If you want to treat your family to something really special, or maybe your in-laws are coming into town for the holidays, this is the recipe to have in your back pocket. It’s sophisticated enough to garner lots of compliments from your adult friends, but the kids will still love it too. It’s ideal for those large family gatherings when you’re just not quite sure what to serve as an entree.
Although this particular cut of beef isn’t the most inexpensive, I promise the dollar sign here is worth it. Also, if you’re nervous about burning it or ruining the flavor in any way, don’t be! I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve that I’ll share with you so you can confidently cook this beef tenderloin with the most incredible mushroom red wine sauce. You’ll master this simple enough recipe in no time!
Ingredients For Beef Tenderloin
For The Beef:
- Beef Tenderloin – Make sure you’re using the center cut, also known as chateaubriand.
- Olive Oil – This can be light or extra virgin. It’s used to rub the beef.
- Garlic – Fresh pressed garlic will yield the most flavor.
For the Beef Seasoning:
- Salt – For the best flavor, use coarse Kosher salt.
- Black Pepper – Although it may seem unnecessary, grounding the black peppercorns yourself does wonders for the overall flavor of this dish.
- Garlic – Instead of fresh garlic, here you should be using dried minced garlic.
- Herbs – Dried thyme and dried rosemary will provide a delicious herbaceous note.
For Mushroom Red Wine Sauce:
- Olive Oil
- Shallot – The delicate sweetness of a shallot is ideal for this sauce! However, in a pinch, a thinly diced half of a yellow onion will do the trick.
- Garlic – Use fresh, not dried or pre-minced. Also, feel free to measure this one with your heart.
- Mushrooms – Use a mixture of different types! Some great ones to use are baby bella, shiitake, and oyster.
- Sherry – Just a splash. The alcohol gets cooked out, but the flavor stays in.
- Flour – All-purpose is the best flour to use to help thicken the sauce.
- Red Wine – I like to use burgundy, but really any type of full bodied red wine will get the job done!
- Beef Stock – For the best flavor, use Homemade Beef Stock.
- Black Pepper
- Salt
- Butter – Unsalted is best. If you use salted butter, omit the additional pinch of salt in this sauce.
Where Can I get Beef Tenderloin?
You have two options – one is to ask the butcher to clean and trim a whole beef tenderloin for you. Another is to get the whole tenderloin and do it yourself. Don’t be scared, it’s not too difficult to do it yourself and you can check out my Demo Video.
Getting a whole tenderloin does come out to be cheaper per pound and you essentially will have two meals because you can make a Beef Stew with the trimmings.
Although, you will have to put in your own time into trimming the meat and the trimmings will have to be cooked right away or frozen.
To make things easier, most grocery stores with a butcher department can help you clean the tenderloin if you are not willing to do it yourself. You can also request a butcher to cut the tenderloin to a more desired size if needed. You are looking for the center cut to be about 3.5-4 lbs.
How to Cook Beef Tenderloin
Note: you can get a center cut of beef tenderloin or break down a whole tenderloin yourself. To learn how to do it yourself, check out more info here – How to Break Down a Whole Beef Tenderloin. (Just keep in mind that for this recipe, we won’t be slicing it prior to cooking.)
Pull the tenderloin out of the refrigerator 30-45 minutes before cooking and let it warm up on the cutting board.
Use cooking twine to tie the tenderloin all along the whole length in 1 inch intervals. Then, rub the meat with olive oil and pressed garlic. Mix seasoning and spread it on a rimmed baking sheet. Roll the tenderloin in seasoning to coat it evenly.
Time to cook it! Place the tenderloin in a roasting pan, then place that pan in the oven preheated to 425°F.
Cook until your desired temperature is reached. Personally, I pull the beef out at 135°F because it continues to cook while resting under the tent. (The temperature will go up another 5-7 degrees while the meat is resting.)
Once out of the oven, loosely tent the beef with foil for about 10 minutes. Then, cut off and take off the twine carefully and let it rest on a cutting board for about 10 more minutes.
How To Make Mushroom Red Wine Sauce
While beef is cooling off, let’s make the sauce! First, heat up some oil in a pan, then cook the shallots until softened and brown. Sear the garlic next until it’s fragrant. Stir in the mushrooms and cook until they’re almost done.
Pour in the sherry and allow it to simmer for a few minutes. Then, sprinkle in the flour, mix well, and let it cook before adding the red wine. Pour in red wine while slowly and constantly mixing.
After the wine is incorporated, stir in the beef stock. Add the seasonings next, then remove the sauce from the heat. Stir in the butter to make it nice and glossy.
At what temperature should I cook beef tenderloin in the oven?
When cooking the center cut of beef tenderloin (also called chateaubriand), cook it at a high temperature of 425°F until it reaches medium-rare (or medium). It’s not recommended to cook beef tenderloin to more than medium temperature because this lean meat will become dry fast. Since the tenderloin is such an expensive cut of meat, would want the results to be the best!
Beef Tenderloin Temperatures
It’s best to cook meats with a leave it thermometer, that way you don’t have to bother the meat or keep opening the oven. When you open the oven, it looses heat.
To check the temperature, insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the beef, towards the middle. You want to hit the reading of the thickest part in the center.
120°-125°F – Rare (cool red center)
130°-135°F – Medium-rare (warm red center)
140°-145°F – Medium (warm pink center)
Remember, the meat continues to cook another 5-7 degrees while resting!
Storing and Reheating Beef Tenderloin
To store the leftovers: Place cooled beef tenderloin in an airtight food storage container with a lid, and keep it in the refrigerator for about 3 days.
To reheat beef tenderloin: Preheat the oven to 350°F and wrap each slice of beef tenderloin in aluminum foil. Don’t wrap it too tight. Place wrapped tenderloin pieces directly onto the oven rack and reheat for 10-15 minutes. (Time will depend of thickness of cuts.) Reheat it just until warm in the middle so it doesn’t overcook. I don’t recommend reheating these leftovers in the microwave.
Treat your family to more delicious beef recipes this season!
Pepper Crusted Beef Tenderloin – this delicious beef tenderloin is crusted with peppercorn and fresh grated Parmesan cheese mixture
Roast Beef – this recipe features eye of round roast cooked in the oven at a lower temperature for the best and most tender texture
Beef Brisket In Balsamic Sauce – This beef brisket is so tender, juicy and delicious, cooked for several hours it at low temperature in the oven, with an amazing balsamic sauce.
Prime Rib– Simply seasoned with salt and pepper, this steak lets its flavors shine and it is served with Red Wine Au Jus for dipping.
Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Red Wine Sauce
Ingredients
Beef:
- 3-4 lb beef tenderloin (center cut, also known as chateaubriand)
- 2 tbsp olive oil to rub the beef
- 3 cloves of garlic pressed
Beef Seasoning:
- 1 tbsp coarse kosher salt more or less to taste
- 3/4 -1 tbsp coarsely ground black peppercorns
- 1 1/2 tbsp dried minced garlic
- 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp crushed dried rosemary
Mushroom Red Wine Sauce:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot diced
- 3-4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lb mushrooms mix of different kinds, sliced
- 3 tbsp sherry
- 1 1/2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 cup burgundy or another rich, full bodied red wine
- 1/4 cup beef stock
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- black pepper
- salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter to finish
Instructions
- NOTE: Most grocery stores with a butcher department can help you clean the tenderloin if you are not willing to do it yourself. You can also request a butcher to cut the tenderloin to a more desired size if needed
Prepare Beef Tenderloin:
- If you have a beef tenderloin cut with a very narrow end: To make the tenderloin more even thickness at the thin end, cut the tip where it starts to get narrow almost all the way off but not completely off. Tuck the narrow, thin tip under the tenderloin.If you have a center cut, ignore this step.
- Use cooking twine to tie the tenderloin all along the whole length in 1-inch intervals. Make sure not to tie too tight where it starts cutting into meat. (Note, beet tenderloin is tender, so don't tug too hard.)
- Rub the tied tenderloin with olive oil all over and then rub it with pressed garlic, spreading it evenly all around.
- Mix the seasoning ingredients and spread them in a rimmed baking sheet that is large enough for the tenderloin. Roll the tied tenderloin in the seasoning to coat it all around.
Cooking Beef Tenderloin:
- Preheat the oven to 425° and line the bottom of the roasting pan with aluminum foil.
- Place prepared beef tenderloin on a rack inside the roasting pan and insert a leave-in thermometer in the center of the meat. (I highly recommend that you use a leave in thermometer to track meat temperature more accurately.)(If you don’t have a leave-in thermometer, you will need to take the meat out of the oven to take the temperature.)
- Cook in the preheated oven until the internal temperature is around 135° for medium-rare. (Cook to 135°-140° for medium, or 120°-125° for rare.) Personally, I pull the beef out at 135° because it continues to cook while resting under the tent. The temperature will go up another 5-7 degrees while the meat is resting.
- Take the pan out of the oven, loosely tent the beef with a sheet of aluminum foil, and let it rest about 15 minutes. Transfer beef tenderloin onto the cutting board and cut off the twine. Let it rest another 7-10 minutes.
- While the beef is resting, prepare the sauce.
Mushroom Red Wine Sauce:
- Preheat a large cooking pan over medium-high and add oil to the pan.
- Add shallots and cook until completely softened and browned. Stir in garlic and let it sear a few seconds, until fragrant.
- Stir in mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are almost done.
- Pour in sherry and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.
- Sprinkle flour over the mushrooms and stir until combined. Pour in red whine while still stirring and incorporating it and then, pour in the beef stock.
- Add salt, pepper, and thyme and stir to incorporate.
- Let the sauce simmer and thicken for a few minutes and then take off heat.
- Add butter and stir it in until melted and the sauce is glossy.
- Spread the sauce in the serving dish. Cut the beef tenderloin against the grain into about 1/2 inch slices and place the sliced steaks over the sauce. Serve right away!
Nutrition
Dustin says
I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Matt says
Can you cook ahead of time and reheat?
LyubaB says
Yes, Preheat the oven to 350°F and wrap each slice of beef tenderloin in aluminum foil. Don’t wrap it too tight. Place wrapped tenderloin pieces directly onto the oven rack and reheat for 10-15 minutes. (Time will depend of thickness of cuts.) Reheat it just until warm in the middle so it doesn’t overcook. I don’t recommend reheating these leftovers in the microwave.